Can you fly below Class B airspace?

An ATC clearance is required for all aircraft that receive separation services within the airspace. Even though you may be operating below the Bravo, you should use caution against operating too closely to the boundaries, especially where the floor of the Class B airspace is 3,000 feet or less above the surface.



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You may fly without ADSB under the Class B or Class C shelf provided you remain outside of any Mode C veil. §91.225 tells you where you cannot fly. It says you cannot fly within the lateral boundaries of the Class B or C airspace or above the airspace.

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However, if you wish to operate in class A, B, or C airspace, or at an altitude of over 10,000' MSL, or within a 30 nautical mile radius of the primary airport in class B airspace, you will need a transponder and altitude encoder (commonly referred to as mode C).

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The upper limit of the airspace should not exceed 10,000 feet MSL. However, high airport field elevation, adjacent high terrain, or operational factors may warrant a ceiling above 10,000 feet MSL.

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Class B airspace locations must include at least one primary airport around which the Class B airspace area is designated. General Design. There is no standard Class B design. Instead, the size and shape of the Class B airspace area will vary depending upon location-specific ATC operational and safety requirements.

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You may fly without ADSB under the Class B or Class C shelf provided you remain outside of any Mode C veil. §91.225 tells you where you cannot fly. It says you cannot fly within the lateral boundaries of the Class B or C airspace or above the airspace.

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Once you are in the air, you must maintain communications with ATC while you are within Class B airspace. If you are taking off from a nontowered satellite airport within Class B airspace, establish two-way radio communications and get a squawk code from ATC as soon as possible after departure.

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VFR aircraft must obtain an ATC clearance to operate in Class B airspace.

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VFR aircraft must obtain an ATC clearance to operate in Class B airspace.

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Restricted areas denote the existence of unusual, often invisible, hazards to aircraft such as artillery firing, aerial gunnery, or guided missiles. Penetration of restricted areas without authorization from the using or controlling agency may be extremely hazardous to the aircraft and its occupants.

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The airspace around the busiest US airports is classified as ICAO Class B, and the primary airport (one or more) for which this airspace is designated is called Class B airport. As of January 2023, there are 37 Class B airports in the United States.

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Class Bravo airspace (Class B) is that airspace surrounding the nation's busiest airports. Class B airspace supports both Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) and Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations within.

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Pilots can easily make a misstep by turning off their transponder, and there are very limited circumstances which allow a pilot to do so.” Civilian aircraft can turn off their ADS-B Out only if specifically instructed to do so by ATC, or if they are the non-lead aircraft in a formation flight, Duke said.

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The regulation 14 CFR 91.225(e) allows aircraft not certificated with an electrical system, including balloons and gliders, not equipped with ADS-B Out to operate within 30 nautical miles of a Class B primary airport—basically, within its Mode C veil—while remaining outside of any Class B or Class C airspace.

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You must be equipped with ADS-B Out to fly in most controlled airspace. Any airspace that requires the use of a Transponder, described in 14 CFR 91.215, also requires aircraft to be equipped with a Version 2 ADS-B Out system.

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Class B Airspace, indicated by a solid blue line. Class B airspace is shown with a solid blue line around major airports in circles radiating outward.

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